Tour de Cause

I participated in Tour de Cause last weekend and it was another rewarding experience. I found out about the ride from a work partner whose company, Gorsuch, is based in the area.

Obviously Pelotonia takes the cake in terms of grandiose events. There were over 3,000 riders in 2010, an all out concert and celebrity appearances. Also, I didn't realize how spoiled I was by having giant signs pointing me towards Athens.

Tour de Cause was a little different. It still went to a great cause. I paid $20 to enter and it went directly to homeless drug addiction awareness and prevention in Fairfield County. For those of you from out of town, that is the county directly southeast of Columbus. There was no concert, no red carpet, no celebrity. The signs that pointed me onward were painted in tiny lettering on the street. But that's probably how it is for smaller events. Still, I was impressed with the fact there were over 500 riders registered that day. I'm sure at least another 100 or so walked up just as I did.

I only have one picture located on my Facebook page: Tour de Cause

The ride took us on various county roads to the north of Lancaster. It lacked the glitz and glamour, but anyone who knows me knows I love Southeast Ohio and this was a chance to see parts of the region I had not seen before. And most people probably know I don't need glitz and glamour anyway - just as long as I don't miss one of those signs on the ground. Twenty-four miles later I was finished.

Come to think of it, they did have some things Pelotonia did not have. After I finished they offered me pizza and ice cream. I happened to be in a rush so I took just a bottle of water and bolted back to Columbus. Would have been nice to do a longer ride, which I need to be doing at this point in my training. But all in all, I was impressed. I'd say it is safe to say I will see you again next year, Tour de Cause.

Here I Go Again

It seems that when most politicians announce they will run for office they put out the following rhetoric: "Big announcement coming tomorrow."

With me, you don't need to worry about this being drawn out. I'll make the announcement right now. I am riding in Pelotonia in 2011.

Last year's ride and fundraising was a rewarding experience for me. Thanks again to all the wonderful people who helped along the way. That goes for anyone who donated, to those who helped make signs, and to one who helped make the postcard possible.

I hope to be even more successful in my efforts this year. That means more donations, more songs on the playlist, more Facebook followers and a faster time to Athens.

Thanks for reading. Much more to come soon!

Pictures from Pelotonia

Pelotonia fundraising thermometer - over $2,300!

Pelotonia Playlist

CD Label for Playlist - given to me by a camper

Sign made for me by camper

Another sign by a camper

Chris Spielman speaking at Opening Ceremony

Best bike jerseys I've ever seen

At the finish line

Thank You Postcard

Positive Story

I wrote a lot about my ride, but I wanted to give you a good look at what was accomplished with both the ride and fundraising. Long story made short, I rode 107 miles from Columbus to Athens and raised more than $2,300 for cancer research! Thanks to all of you for making this possible.

Also, if you would like to contact me with comments or questions, the easiest way is via email:

anthony.tynan@gmail.com

Here is the table of contents for my posts, beginning from the bottom:

1. Pelotonia Playlist - All the songs that were requested for the ride. I posted this a day or two before the ride.

2. Positive Decisions - Why I decided to commit to ride in Pelotonia and to raise $1,500

3. Positive Fundraising - A behind the scenes look at my fundraising efforts

4. Positive Prelude - The opening ceremony

5. Positive Ride - All the details of the ride, from 4:30am to 4:45pm

6. Positive Experience - My chance to thank you and to let you know how you can continue to make a difference

I don't expect you to just roll through this all in one read, but it would be great if you can get through all of it by breaking it up into a few reads. At the least, please read the post below to give me a chance to thank you!

It has been a rewarding experience in many different ways. Thanks for making all this possible!

Positive Experience

Pelotonia was a success! Here is what was accomplished:

-More than $2,300 (and counting) raised

-I rode 107 miles from Columbus to Athens

-WE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN FIGHTING CANCER!

I need to thank several people who made this possible:

-First and foremost, YOU! Thanks to everyone who donated!

-My summer campers, who stuffed and licked envelopes, made signs and flyers, collected money from their neighbors, and gave me awesome music for the playlist

-My parents, who paid a $100 signup fee to Pelotonia in lieu of a donation

-My sisters - one donated time help me with some administrative elements, and the other who donated $25 toward the cost of postcards and stamps

-Kyle Lewis, who made my "Thank You" postcard

Here is a record of all my donations. Again, YOU made this possible and I thank you! I am sending all the sheets I have on hand and a check for all my cash/check donations in the next few days. If you gave me cash/check, your donation should appear soon:

My Pelotonia Profile

It is NOT too late to donate. You have until October 22. If you did not donate or you want to donate more, here is where you can donate to my ride:

Donate to My Pelotonia Fund

I would also be very happy to hear that you donate to another cause. As you might have heard, a woman was struck by a car and killed during Pelotonia. It is a tragedy that this happened. Yet out of the tragedy, a real difference has been made. More than $40,000 donated in her name toward Pelotonia. The rider left behind a son and more than $10,000 has been raised in a fund for her family. Since I have met my goal I encourage you to donate to one of these two accounts instead:

Kazlausky's Pelotonia Profile

Kazlausky Memorial Fund

I plan on riding again next year. Check back with me next spring or summer for a more formal announcement. If you are interested in riding, please let me know!

Book this blog and check back. I won't have a whole lot to say until next year, but if there is news on this ride I will post it here and on my social media accounts. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter:

ATPelotonia

@ATPelotonia

Positive Ride

The alarm woke me at 4:30. I had breakfast and got dressed for the ride. Yes, I wore the padded biker shorts. I also donned the Pelotonia jersey for the first time.

I left at about 5:45. Rather than going to the starting point, I simply left from my house. I did this because I wanted to get an early start so I could get to Athens in time for a fantasy football draft. Nine friends came to town and we had plans to meet at our favorite pizza place for the draft.

By leaving from my house as opposed to the starting line, I actually added about two miles to the journey. I began by going straight down High Street and then taking Lockbourne Road until I was outside of I-270. Shortly thereafter, I arrived at the first checkpoint just before 7:00, the time the riders were scheduled to depart from OSU. The volunteers were setting up at the checkpoint and they thought I was some sort of biking prodigy by beating everyone else to the stop. I explained I was no hero, just getting a head start.

I moved on and was still the first biker at the second rest stop. Again, I received undue praise and I explained it away once again. I was somewhere between 25-30 miles into the race and jokingly got to refer to myself as the leader.

After I left the rest stop I led for several more miles. At this point, there was a low-flying helicopter near me, so I knew the pack was closing in on me. (We had been warned about low flying aircraft, as it would be taking video of the ride.) This made me uncomfortable as again it seemed I was the leader of the ride - if indeed it was taking video of me. Shortly thereafter, a state trooper rode behind me on his motorcycle and got on his loud speaker to say:

"You are about to be passed by the fastest riders on your left!"

Moments later about 25-30 riders cruised by at about twice my speed. The burden of leading the ride was no longer mine. I was passed often during the rest of the ride.

The next rest stop was the conclusion of the 42-mile ride. I decided I was hungry and ate two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Normally I just do peanut butter sandwiches, but I realized I'm just fine adding strawberry jelly.

I took to the road again and approached the next stop, which was only 12 miles away. Originally I planned on it being a short rest, but then I was told the hills were lurking only a couple of miles into the next stage. I had thought the hills were two stages away, so I took a few more minutes to try to prepare myself.

I thought there would be more hills than there were, but I also thought they would be at less of an incline. Turned out there were three hills in a row in this stage and they were quite difficult. For a moment, I thought I might have to get off the bike and walk up. Many people did. But I remembered Chris Spielman talking the night before about remembering the pain that those with cancer had suffered as I was "sucking wind" in Southeast Ohio. No way I could get off my bike, even if I did go to the lowest gear. Volunteers were set up to provide words of encouragement as we rode and they had extras of them for the hills. That would probably be because they would need to call an ambulance if someone were to have a heart attack. I conquered the hills and there was a bonus rest stop immediately following. Then I continued on to Logan.

Speaking of volunteers lining the roadway, I found them to be very motivating. Some were overly helpful, nice enough to describe the terrain and how long until the next stop. One volunteer stands out more than others. That would be the only one who didn't seem to have words of encouragement. Instead, he lined the road just to wave his Cleveland Browns flag. Yep, I'm a huge Browns fan and got a good laugh out of it.

This is also the stage where rider Michelle Kazlausky was struck and killed by a car that failed to obey a state trooper who was managing traffic. Story here.

I was tired pretty tired and sore when I made it to Logan. We were forecast to sit at 90 degrees that day, but an overcast sky held us in the low-to-mid-80s. However, it looked like rain could end up being a possibility and I desperately wanted to avoid it. I ate 3/4 of another peanut butter and jelly sandwich, hydrated, and got back on the bike.

The next stage was incredibly flat almost all the way to Nelsonville. We eventually hit a couple of hills toward the end of the stage. Most people don't know where they are around Nelsonville, but thanks to many a visit to Nelsonville-York High School while doing broadcast work at Ohio University I knew exactly where I was. This started the nostalgia part of the ride as I coasted downhill towards Rt. 33.

It started about four miles from Nelsonville. The first raindrop. Then another. And another. Soon it was a sprinkle. Since I was traveling east to west at the time I knew there was a good chance there was something heavier awaiting me. I pedal harder. About a mile and a half to go. The sprinkle turns into a fairly steady rain. I pedal even harder. As I enter the more populated part of Nelsonville the steady rain turns into a downpour. I can't pedal any harder because I am going downhill at a quick pace. I could lose control in the middle of traffic if I go any faster.

The next checkpoint was at Hocking College and I was still a mile away. This is where my Southeast Ohio expertise helped me out. I cut off the course by about half a block and waited out the storm under the shade of the Nelsonville train station. I was too worried that everyone would compete for minimal covered areas at the checkpoint, so I was content to wait it out by myself while getting on the horn with friends who could check radar.

I ended up waiting almost an hour, but things calmed down and I left as the rain tapered off to a sprinkle. It stopped soon enough and I was on the final leg to Athens. The other reason the train station was so convenient is that I know the bike path begins right behind it. I jumped on the path, cruised by the Hocking College checkpoint and resumed the course toward Athens. This part of the ride is very flat and I was well rested from waiting out the rain.

An hour later I made my final turns in Athens. A left on Union Street. A right on Shafer Street. Past the soccer field and track. Past the baseball stadium. Next to the cherry trees. There it was. The finish line. There were a couple hundred people cheering for every rider. I cruised in to the applause and words of thanks and crossed the finish line. I had gone 106 miles on the day and I felt very accomplished in what I had done.

I had someone take a quick picture, but I had to get back on the road. I still had one mile to go. I went around the back of the Convocation Center and took a left on Richland Avenue. One last hill up Richland and across the bridge. (I gave serious thought to taking my bike inside the new student center so I could simply take it up the escalator with me.) Scripps was in view. I turned left on Court Street. And for those of you who may not know, Court Street is a brick road. I made a painful descent to the end of the street. There it was on the left. Courtside Pizza, the site of my fantasy football draft. One hundred seven miles in the book.

Positive Prelude

The ride was Saturday, but Friday was quite a busy day too. I planned on getting out of work at 4:00, but didn't get out until about 5:15. That means that with rush hour and Pelotonia traffic teaming up against me, I didn't walk into the Opening Ceremony until 6:30. I got in a long line and waited about a half hour to check in. Why they had lines separated into A-C, D-H and I-Z remains a mystery to me.

Finally, I had my materials in hand. Rather than going through the buffet, I grabbed some pizza and pop when people came through and offered while I was in line. I didn't have much of a desire to wait in another line for the buffet anyway. I met up with a friend who was also riding and we watched as speakers took the mic. This includes OSU President Gordon Gee and former Ohio State football player Chris Spielman.

Spielman's story is notorious around Columbus. His wife Stefanie battled cancer and won four times. The cancer claimed her life late last year when it returned a fifth time, but not before the Spielmans became an active voice in fighting cancer.

With the cemetery where Stefanie is buried in view behind the audience, Chris took the stage to a standing ovation. He said he wasn't alone in his fight because of people like us, the riders. Then he showed a video that included excerpts of several of Stefanie's speeches. It was truly powerful.

I went home and packed my bags for the following night and attached everything I needed to my bike. Then I uploaded the famous - or infamous - playlist to my iPod before going to bed.

The ride was just hours away. And it wasn't until I was within 24 hours of the ride, but I hit the $1,500 in online donations. I had much more in cash and checks that I did not submit. (A tactic I couldn't resist, making online donors think I needed every last penny leading up to the ride! I actually crossed the $1,500 requirement several days before.)